* Turkey’s stability, anchoring to Euro-Atlantic, European values – vital to regional security
A new Supreme Council of National Defence (CSAT) meeting took place on Tuesday at the Presidential Palace, chaired by President Klaus Iohannis, its main topic being the measures and actions for the implementation of the recent NATO Summit in Warsaw.
After the meeting, President Iohannis said that there is currently no reason to raise the terrorism threat level in Romania. He added that amidst the multiplication of terrorist attacks in Europe, including tragic events in France and Germany, CSAT looked into a report on Romania’s state of security in terms of terror risks and threats.
“All the responsible organisations have assured me that there is currently no reason to determine the need to raise the terrorism threat level which is currently ‘blue,’ cautious,” Iohannis told journalists at Cotroceni Palace.
CSAT decided on Tuesday to set up an inter-institutional workgroup on the multinational NATO brigade in Romania.
“We have decided to establish a workgroup that will start the preparation of all documents tomorrow, under the supervision of the national security advisor of the Presidential Administration (Ion Oprisor – editor’s note). The approaches are multiple, some of them also very complicated. Starting from necessary legislative clarifications and down to drawing up a timetable showing very clearly what steps are practically taken and when to establish these initiatives. An inter-institutional workgroup is needed, which will focus in the near future firstly on drafting a work agenda and a timetable. We’re rather ambitious, and our armed forces have proposed March or April as the period for setting up this multinational brigade – which means declaring its initial readiness, in specialist terms,” the president explained.
“We’re talking about providing the conditions for the support of the host country, in accordance with NATO standards, and about active approaches on military and diplomatic levels, in Allied debates and talks with the military authorities of NATO. This means we’re the host state for the multinational brigade, and we have to prepare adequately to welcome troops coming from abroad and integrate them in the multinational brigade structure. On the other hand, approaches to other allies mean negotiations to persuade them to send troops to the multinational brigade and to the training initiative,” Iohannis detailed.
The head of state asserted that favourable answers have already been received from at least six allies in regard to their participation in the multinational brigade, but not all of them have turned concrete. Poland will send one company, and Bulgaria some 400 troops to the brigade. “Others are interested, and we are having negotiations that I can label as excellent. To conclude, we’ll have enough troops for this brigade from several allies,” he said.
The decisions taken in Poland require full, efficient and quick implementation, and all the relevant state institutions have been briefed on their related tasks, he added. Romania is waiting for proposals from the Allied planning structure for the Black Sea.
“We’re in contact with all the interested allies to implement the decisions – which we could call historic – taken in Warsaw. All these measures and all of Romania’s approaches practically meet the National Defence Strategy and the consolidation of our country’s positions,” Iohannis also said according to Agerpres.
Also, the president said that Turkey’s stability and anchoring to the set of shared Euro-Atlantic and European values are vital to regional security, saying he is convinced that the Turkish partners are aware of the importance, in this respect, of observing democratic values and institutions.
“Turkey remains a strategic partner of Romania and an indispensable ally of NATO, a key-partner of the EU, but also an actor whose stability and anchoring to the common set of Euro-Atlantic and European values are vital to regional security. I am convinced that our Turkish partners are aware of the importance, in this respect, of observing democratic institutions and values, human rights and fundamental freedoms,” the head of state said after the CSAT meeting.
President Iohannis added that Romania, as a NATO member, is interested in ensuring security and stability in the region, and also in observing the spirit of democracy and the rule of law.
“Romania has clearly positioned toward the attempted coup by condemning the actions against constitutional order and democratic institutions in Turkey,” Iohannis brought to mind.
CSAT also approved the bill on the integration of Romania’s rail system with the single European rail space, President Klaus Iohannis announced.
“Romania’s rail system, which is faced with a host of issues, needs to become competitive and efficient. It is a strategic sector both in terms of national security, and of the country’s development,” Iohannis said after the CSAT sitting, mentioning also that the respective piece of legislation transposes a European directive into national law.
Attending the CSAT meeting were Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos; Defence Minister Mihnea Motoc; Foreign Minister Lazar Comanescu; Justice Minister Raluca Pruna; Economy Minister Costin Borc; Finance Minister Anca Dragu; Director of Romania’s Intelligence Service (SRI) Eduard Hellvig; Director of Romania’s Foreign Intelligence Service (SIE) Mihai Razvan-Ungureanu; Chief of the Romanian Army Staff Nicolae Ciuca; presidential adviser for national security Ion Oprisor; CSAT Secretary Mihai Somordolea. Deputising for Interior Minister Petre Toba was State Secretary with the Interior Ministry Ioan Buda.
On July 9, President Iohannis stated that the NATO Summit in Warsaw was a successful one for Romania, pointing out that all topics of interest for our country have been included in its final documents.
He pointed out that the main elements of interest for Romania, obtained at the Warsaw Summit, concern the balancing of measures taken as part of the new defence and deterrence posture on the Eastern Flank.
The previous CSAT meeting took place on May 27.
